Dazzling clusters of cube-shaped houses perched on top of Andalusia’s olive tree-studded mountains, the “Pueblos Blancos”, or white villages, are named for the lime wash the buildings are painted with to keep the interiors cool. The labyrinths of narrow alleyways are a throwback to when this Spanish region was known as Al-Andalus, and was part of a medieval Muslim territory. While this region is stunningly beautiful and a big draw to tourists visiting the south of Spain, it is also one of the poorest areas in the country and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the European Union. [28 photos total]

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A heifer, tied with a rope, chases a reveller during “Toro de Cuerda” which travels through the village streets in the white village of Villaluenga del Rosario, southern Spain, Sept. 3.
(Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)
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Maria Jose Manzano, 50, and her husband Joaquin Cortijo, 57, have lunch at their house in Vega de los Molinos, part of the white village of Arcos de la Frontera, southern Spain, Sept. 23.
(Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)
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